


The Price of War: Remus

by Sirussly



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 17:18:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12085665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sirussly/pseuds/Sirussly
Summary: Remus comes home.





	The Price of War: Remus

**Author's Note:**

> Another bonus scene written for [The Price of War](https://sirussly.tumblr.com/post/165267661306/the-price-of-war-masterpost). It's still just as sad.

Remus fumbled with his keys; foreign and metal in hands still smeared with blood and dirt. An old shoulder injury throbbed as he used it to force the front door open – swollen shut by rain and weeks of abandonment. He squeezed into the narrow hallway and kicked the door closed behind him, sealing it with as many protective wards as he could remember. His wand hand shook, magical atrophy from weeks of disuse all too clear. 

It still shook as he pressed the tip of his wand to the throat of the stranger sat at his kitchen table.

“Welcome back.” 

With a sharp wave of his wand, Remus turned on the lights. Momentarily blinded, he willed the animal in his chest to stop snarling and blinked at the stranger.

“What the fuck, Sirius?” 

Sirius was unshaven, the hollows of his eyes were black. His hair was tied up and matted, and the stench of alcohol rolled off him in waves. His eyes scared Remus the most.

“Y-you can't just break into people's homes - I almost killed you!” Something dark twisted in Sirius' expression, but he continued staring at the firewhisky in his hand. He hadn't looked Remus in the eye once.

“Wasn't hard. Why didn't you didn't leave any wards up?”

 _Because I didn't think I was coming back._ “Why are you here, Sirius?” Sirius only swallowed his firewhisky in reply. His knuckles were white where he gripped the glass so hard that Remus thought it might shatter in his hand'. “...Are you okay?”

Sirius' laughter was like a slap in the face. It lasted long enough to descend into a coughing fit, and when Sirius raised his head his eyes were glittering.

“Do you even know what you've done?” 

Remus exhaled sharply through his nose. “Enlighten me.”

“Marlene and Dorcas are dead.”

It was a joke, a stupid joke because Sirius never knew where the line was, never knew when to stop. But his acid laughter had long since died from the room. Instead it settled like bile in the back of Remus' throat, weighing heavy in his chest and sucking the air from his lungs. It felt like a long time before Remus could speak, and when he did, Sirius was ready. 

“How?”

“Where did you go, Remus?”

“When did they -?”

_“Why weren't you here?”_

“Sirius, I couldn't -” __  
  
“Everyone is _dying_ and _YOU LEFT ME!”_

The glass finally shattered. Remus watched the blood stain the wooden table.

“You still think it's me?” His voice was steady.

“Tell me it's not.” His voice wasn't. 

“It's not.”

“I don't believe you.”

Remus picked up a tea towel from the side and held it out, saying nothing. Sirius ignored it or didn't see, cradling his hand against his chest, blood blooming on the spot over his heart.

“...Did you always think I was a monster?”

Sirius stood so abruptly from his chair that Remus started, then braced himself for the oncoming blow and taste of metal in his mouth. But Sirius stumbled past him, half-collapsing into the sink, and Remus heard him retch. He heard his gasp, a broken sob spat on the floor, and then the door slammed.

Remus used the towel to wipe the blood from the table. The stain lingered.

 


End file.
